Protein therapy for treatment of retinal diseases

Abstract

The present invention encompasses methods, compositions, and devices for treating an ocular disease, disorder or condition in a mammal. The invention includes polypeptides that possess anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, immune modulatory and anti-tumorigenic properties, and their application in the treatment of eye disease, particularly diseases of the retina. In particular aspects, the invention includes administration of a therapeutic polypeptide such as a stanniocalcin family member protein for the treatment of an eye disease. Also included are fusion proteins and cells stimulated or modified to express the therapeutic polypeptides as set forth herein.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for prophylaxis and/or therapy of an eye disease in a subject, comprising administering to a subject with an eye disease or at risk of developing an eye disease a pharmaceutically effective amount of a composition that comprises an isolated polypeptide comprising a domain comprising a stanniocalcin family member polypeptide, wherein the stanniocalcin family member polypeptide is a STC-2 polypeptide that has at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, or SEQ ID NO:20. 
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the stanniocalcin family member comprises SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO: 15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, or SEQ ID NO:20. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the stanniocalcin family member polypeptide has at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 12. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the stanniocalcin family member polypeptide comprises SEQ ID NO: 12. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the eye disease is a retinal disease or an eye disease which comprises elevated intraocular pressure. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the retinal disease is retinitis pigmentosa, atrophic nonexudative age-related macular degeneration, or diabetic retinopathy, or wherein the eye disease which comprises elevated intraocular pressure is primary open angle glaucoma, pigmentary glaucoma, or angle closure glaucoma. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the diabetic retinopathy is proliferative diabetic retinopathy, nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy, or diabetic macular edema. 
     
     
         8 . A pharmaceutical composition suitable for ophthalmic delivery comprising a therapeutically effective amount of an isolated polypeptide comprising a domain comprising a stanniocalcin family member polypeptide, wherein the stanniocalcin family member polypeptide is a STC-2 polypeptide that has at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, or SEQ ID NO:20. 
     
     
         9 . The pharmaceutical composition of  claim 8 , wherein the stanniocalcin family member has at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 12.